The present disclosure relates generally to cable connectors, and particularly to cable connector fasteners.
In medical imaging systems, components are mounted to a gantry frame that may rotate around a patient at anywhere from 120 to 150 RPM. This rate of motion may create a hostile environment for mounting hardware by exerting acceleration loads up to 25 G's on components mounted to the rotating frame. Typically, printed circuit boards and backplanes that require power and data cable connections are mounted on the rotating gantry. Any fasteners holding components to the gantry need to be tightened properly to provide a lasting, positive connection. The cable connections are typically made by over-molded cables that use jackscrews to attach the over-mold section of the cable to the printed circuit board.
Jackscrews, which fasten the cable connectors to the circuit boards, are limited in size by available space. If excessive tightening torque is applied to jackscrews in either manufacturing or service, their threads may strip into the connector socket, or they may break within the circuit board. This type of thread damage may result in cable disconnection during gantry rotation, or require replacement of the circuit boards. In-field circuit board replacement may require extensive system down-time and cost. The jackscrew connection to the printed circuit boards needs to be assured to maintain cable connection within the rotating gantry, while application of excessive torque to jackscrews needs to be eliminated to minimize end user downtime. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a cable connector fastening arrangement that overcomes these drawbacks.